top of page

Art Terms and Acronym Glossary

 

An art glossary, acronyms, art terminology, and occasionally how it relates to what I do

Abstract Art

Abstract Art is meant to NOT represent a realistic depiction of anything in particular. It uses color, forms, shapes, and gestural marks. Abstract Art is not my style of artwork although I appreciate what others have created.

Acrylic Painting

Acrylic Paint is my current favored paint medium. It is a water-based fast-drying paint that is easily thinned with water, or used thickly. It is typically applied with brushes or knives.

*Easiest for beginners to learn.

*Easy cleanup with water if paint is still wet.

*Fast drying, versatile, durability once its dry and is affordable.

Art Print

Art prints, or fine art prints are known as giclee prints which are made with very high resolution inkjet printers specialized in their quality, longevity and value in photo paper and image rendering.

 

There are particular directions when packaging art prints in a professional way when offering prints for sale including archival clear bags and a backing board that fit to the size of the print to help protect it. Signing the print, numbering or limited edition, a business card, a Certificate of Authenticity are other options to learn more about.

 

I currently am working with 5x7, 8x10, 8.5x11, 11x14, 12x12, 12x16 for the most part in my art prints. Please ask for availability.

AI Art

AI art, or artificial intelligence art is a controversial subject. AI art is created (or generated) by a machine learning process.

Background

Balance

This is a painting process where the artist roughly establishes the composition and structure of the subject with colors and shapes. It’s a popular technique used mostly with oil painting, and portrait artists.

Blocking In

Foreground is closest, mid-ground is between the fore and the background. The background part of an artwork lies in the distance and appears to be behind objects in the foreground. Depth is achieved when layering the composition.

A principle of art and design concerned with the arrangement of one or more elements in a work of art so that they appear symmetrical (identical compositional units on either side of an axis) or asymmetrical (not identical) in design and proportion.

Bookcase Art is what I call small artworks of about 4x4x1.5 on gallery wrapped canvas that are great for setting on a bookcase shelf, a ledge, or a side table. I do not wire the works for hanging.

Bookcase Art

Call for Art

A notice from a gallery, or art group for artists to submit art. Typically, art is selected to show from the art submitted, known as a jurying process. Also referred to as a Call for Artists, Submit Art. A fee is often charged for entry and a number of entries is usually specified.

Canvas

Although most artist's moms could be considered a young artist's first "collector", the title identifies someone who buys, or collects, art. Anyone can be a collector and he or she could start their collection with an unframed photograph or print, and go from there. 

Collector

A closely woven, sturdy/heavy cloth of hemp, cotton, linen (more expensive), or a similar fiber, frequently stretched over a frame and used as a surface for painting. Less expensive back stapled canvas does not cover the staples used to fix the cloth to the frame. Gallery-wrapped canvas has the cloth very nicely folded, tucked and has the staples hidden, leaving the sides available for painting as well. Gallery wrapped canvas is my preferred painting surface and does not necessarily need to be framed.

Color

The perceived hue of an object, produced by the manner in which it reflects or emits light into the eye. Also, a substance, such as a dye, pigment, or paint, that imparts a hue.

Commission

1. A request for the production of an artwork. Typically, a contract is necessary and upfront percentage of the payment is paid before work begins - 1/3 to 1/2. The deposit should be nonrefundable. Reference photos could be sent to or taken by the artist for some subjects. Great communication is needed between the person requesting the art and the artist so that expectations are met.

2. The percentage charged by the venue, art group, show organizers to be charged from the cost of the artwork when sold. An art group may charge as little as 15% or 30%, while a gallery may charge from 30% and as high as 50% or more depending on the location, the city the gallery is in. A check is cut for the remainder to the artist.

Composition

Contrast

Use of opposites near or beside one another (light and dark, rough and smooth).

Cool Colors

The Cool Colors are mostly green, blue, violet (purple). Think snow, ice, cool water, big blue sky, deep blue ocean, green grass.

josh-luckey-jh3im5M9XiY-unsplash.jpg

Photo by Josh Luckey on Unsplash

Crossroads Arts Alliance (CAA)

CAA is a nonprofit 501(c)3 art group based in Haymarket in Prince William County, Virginia. They were founded in 2023 and their website is https://www.crossroadsartsalliance.org/

Crossroads Arts Alliance Logo.png

The arrangement of the individual elements within a work of art so as to form a unified whole. There are varying numbers of composition "rules" or techniques (especially used in photography), here is a list of many of them:

1. Rule of Thirds

2. Centered Composition and Symmetry

3. Foreground Interest and Depth

4. Frame Within the Frame

5. Leading Lines

6. Diagonals and Triangles

7. Patterns and Textures

8. Break the Pattern

9. Rule of Odds

10. Fill the Frame

11. Leave Negative Space

12. Simplicity and Minimalism

13. Use Black and White

14. Isolate the Subject

15. Shoot from Below

16. Shoot from Above

17. Look for Particular Color Combinations

18. Rule of Space

19. Left to Right Rule

20. Balance Elements in the Scene

21. Juxtaposition

22. Golden Triangles

23. Golden Ratio

24. Let the Background Give Context to the Subject

25. Let the Eye Wander Around the Frame

26. Use Layers in the Frame

27. Add Human Interest

28. Wait for the “Decisive Moment”

See "Composition" on the Artistry Spin Blog for info on them. https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/

Curator

A curator is someone whose job is to create and run exhibitions or look after a collection. Curating a show means putting a show together: liaising with artists and deciding where the works go on the walls.

Digital Art

Digital Art is any artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process - computational art.

Diptych

Two panels or canvases that typically present a singular artwork, sometimes hinged together. Some artists sell them together as a unit, but not always.

Drawing

A work of art made with a pencil, colored pencils, pen, crayon, charcoal, or other implements, often consisting of lines and marks.

Editions

Elements of Art

Emphasis

Focal Point

Principle of design concerned that stresses one element or area in a work of art to make it attract the viewer’s attention first.

Foreground

As opposed to the background, this is the part of a two-dimensional piece of art which appears closest to the viewer.

An edition is a predetermined number of prints at a specific size from a single image. An edition print should be of exhibition quality and will be individually numbered (examples: 5/10 or 5 of 10), signed and dated, either on the print itself or on an accompanying certificate. Often an ‘Artist Proof’ will exist separate to the edition and is usually the first or last to be printed. Editioning is more common among contemporary photographers and gives the collector an assurance of authenticity.

The basic components which are put together to make a visual work of art. They are color, line, shape, texture, space, form and value. All works of art are composed of these basic elements. 

This is the part of a piece of art work, usually a two-dimensional piece like a painting or photograph, which is the central focus of a piece, and where the eye is drawn to first.

Form

Form is an element of art; the three dimensional structure of an object. In two dimensions, a form is represented as a shape.

Giclee

A giclée print, rather than a limited edition, is a method of printmaking using an ink-jet printer to produce photographic images of artworks.

Gouache

A water-based matte paint, sometimes called opaque watercolor, composed of ground pigments and plant-based binders, such as gum Arabic or gum tragacanth. The opacity of gouache derives from the addition of white fillers, such as clay or chalk, or a higher ratio of pigment to binder.

Hue

A particular gradation of color; a shade or tint.

Impasto

The process of thickly applying paint using a brush or a palette knife. Impasto paint is thick and textured; usually oil paint is used but sometimes artists use acrylic. Impasto artworks are characterized by the thickly layered paint, and visible marks of the palette knife.

Jury

in the art world, a jury is a group of people that select the art to show. When a call for art goes out that artists can submit their artwork to, the jury (or juror) is an individual (often hired) or group of people that select the artwork to be displayed for that art show or gallery. A judge is typically the person (hired) to select which artworks are given prizes and/or ribbons or other compensation. Typically Best in Show, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place, and Honorable Mention.

Landscape

A painting that has natural scenery as its primary focus.

Limited Edition

A limited edition is a piece of art – such as a photograph, etching or screenprint -that is produced in small, or limited numbers, which adds to their value.

Line

Line is an element of art; a continuous path of a point as it moves across a surface. A line can vary in length, width, direction, curvature or color.

MAG

Manassas Art Guild is a non-profit 501(c)3 art group based in Manassas, Virginia, founded in 1970's. Manassas Art Guild

Medium

The materials used to create a work of art, and the categorization of art based on the materials used (for example, painting [or more specifically, watercolor], drawing, sculpture).

Mixed Media

A technique involving the use of two or more artistic media, such as ink and pastel or painting and collage, that are combined in a single composition.

Mini Art

I have been painting 3x4 mini paintings for several years not. The mini canvases come with their own mini easel so that much like the Bookcase Art, you can set them anywhere. I've purchased 3 boxes of 100 3x4 mini canvases and painted all of them. My newest batch is 4x4 so I hope they start hitting the radar soon.

image.jpg

NFS

Not For Sale

NFT

Shorthand for ‘non-fungible token’, an NFT is a digital token that states that you are the owner of a digital work – a piece of art, a piece of music or even a tweet! The NFT is like a digital certificate of authenticity.

Oil Painting

Usually is a slow-drying paint with particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil. The curing time is considerable with oil paints, it is typically more expensive, and generally not as easy to work with as acrylics. There are now water-based oil paints that I intend to use at some point.

p-ART-ners

A non-profit art group based in Manassas, Virginia. Many of the pARTnets artists are found outdoor doing plein-air painting and in the fall, host the annual Paint! Manassas contest. Michell Frantz is the artist in contact person for p-ART-ners

Pattern

Two-dimensional decorative visual repetition. A pattern has no movement and may or may not have rhythm.

Photorealism

This is how I like to paint - to make an image look like a photograph. When someone asks is it a photograph, I know I got it right. Other labels for photorealism include superrealism, new realism, verism, sharp-focus realism, and hyperrealism.

Plein Air

French for "out of doors" and refers to the practice of painting and finishing the art piece outside.

Principles of Design

1. Balance

2. Contrast

3. Emphasis

4. Proportion

5. Pattern

6. Rhythm

7. Unity

8. Variety

Proportion

A principle of design concerned with the size relationships of one part to the whole and one part to another.

PWAS

Prince William Art Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit art group in Prince William County, Virginia, which was founded in 1971. Prince William Art Society

PWCAC

Prince William County Arts Council https://pwcartscouncil.org/ 

Prince William County Department of Parks & Recreation

14420 Bristow Rd., Manassas VA 20112

Realism in the Arts

This paint style attempts to paint the subject matter as true to the image as possible, without any exaggeration, or unnatural elements. 

Rhythm

Yes, Rhythm is a Dancer....Principal of design that repeats elements to create the illusion of movement. Visual rhythm is perceived through the eyes, and is created by repeating positive spaces separated by negative spaces. Alternating rhythm is when the visual rhythm set up by repeating motifs but changing position or content of motifs or spaces between them. Flowing rhythm is created by repetition of wavy lines. Progressive rhythm is a visual rhythm that changes a motif each time it is repeated. Random rhythm is a repetition in no apparent order with no regular spaces. Regular rhythm is achieved through repeating identical motifs using the same intervals of space between them.

Shade

In painting, a color plus black. Brings new meaning to the saying, "throw some shade at it".

Shape

Shape is an element of art. The outline, edge or flat surface of a form as a circle or a square.

Sketch

A rendering of the basic elements of a composition, often made in a loosely detailed or quick manner. Sketches can be both finished works of art or studies for another composition.

Space

Space (or negative space) is the element of sculpture, which refers to emptiness or areas between, around, above, below or within objects.

Still Life

A painting with the subject matter "staged" or arranged in a pleasing way to emphasize light, color, shadow on the object(s). The objects can be flowers, fruit, vegetables, food, glass - manmade or natural objects. Backdrops are often draped materials. Still life is typically something that does not move or is dead. Couch potatoes beware.

Styles in the Visual Arts

Art Styles are categorized into distinctive, recognizable artworks that may be from the same period of time, the same schools of thought and/or education and training, from a specific location/country, by the same artist, or art movement.

​

Abstract Expressionism
Art Nouveau
Avant-Garde
Bauhaus
Baroque
Classicism
Conceptual Art
Constructivism Art
Contemporary Art
Cubism
Dadaism
De Stijl
Expressionism
Fluxus
Futurism
Gothic Art
Harlem Renaissance
Installation Art
Kinetic Art
Land Art
Magical Realism
Modern Art
Naturalism
Neoclassicism
Performance Art
Photorealism
Pop Art
Post-Impressionism
Primitivism
Rococo
Romanticism
Renaissance
Street Art
Suprematism
Ukiyo-e

Surrealism in Art

Surrealism features expressions of surprise in the art. The style may be a dream-like quality, illogical ideas, and introduce a different way to view the subject.

Texture

Texture is an element of art and refers to the way things feel or look as though they might feel if they were touched.

Tint

Light values of a color (adding white)

Triptych

Artwork in three panels, again they can represent a singular work and be sold as a group but not necessarily.

Trompe L'Oeil

A French term meaning "deceives the eye", which means that the object(s) or subject(s) are painted in such a realistic way that it ends up being an optical 3-D illusion of reality. I love this type of painting and find it so intriguing.

Unity

The arrangement of one or more of the elements used to create a feeling of completeness. Everything in the work seems to belong and contribute to the overall picture.

Value

Light or dark; the variations of light and dark on the surface of an object. The lightness or darkness of a color.

Variety

The visual arts includes a large list of creative art forms that are visually experienced. The visual arts are obviously different than the performing arts of music, dance, opera, theatre, etc. The visual arts include a medium and sools to create the art with their own hands. Here's a list of the main forms:

Painting

Sculpture

Drawing

Illustration

Printmaking

Photography

Film and Video

Architecture

Design including Graphic Design, Industrial, Fashion and Interior

Crafts - the Decorative Arts, including furniture, textiles, jewelry, and ceramics

Warm Colors

alexander-grey-wRoyrBjSBzM-unsplash.jpg

Visual Arts

Warm colors are red, orange, yellow - the fiery colors. Think great sunrises and sunsets, candles, fires, etc.

Principle of design concerned with difference or contrast.

​Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

A type of paint in which the pigment is suspended in a water-based solution or binder. With watercolor painting, the artist paints from light to dark, with each layer increasing the shadows and leaving the paper virtually bare where the highlights are. This is the opposite of acrylic and oil painting.

*Least expensive type of painting to begin with.

*Easy cleanup.

Watercolor is the medium I am trying to get some practice with. For pastels and inks - I haven't used them at all as yet.

Watercolor Painting

bottom of page